Our Collective Majesty - A Dream Theater Tale
by Numbstrike
Summary: Globally popular progressive metal band Dream Theater experiences a life-changing event when together they produce something magical but has, in some way, always been a part of them. (This is based in the real world but definitely has fantasy aspects. John Petrucci, James LaBrie, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Mangini are characters.)
1. Initiation

**Author's Note: With the anticipation of the new album, I have embraced my Dream Theater obsession again. This time I reached a new level, though: writing a FanFic. :D Unfortunately, I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update it. I hope you have fun with this first chapter of a new story!**

Chapter 1 – Initiation

_ Friday, April 29th, 2011_

The last drops of sunlight dissipated as night gained dominance over the dying day. Soon the only light came from the distant stars and the sliver of a moon, peeking behind wispy clouds. A quiet breeze still tainted with the bitterness of a New York winter brushed nearby branches with chill breath. The crunch of tires on gravel broke the silence of the dusk as three sleek cars emerged from a rural woodland road. Their engines cut off as they parked, and the night resumed its hush stillness. A dark figure each emerged from individual vehicles. These figures wore heavy cloaks, hoods drawn to hide their faces. Despite the disguised appearance, they stood confidentially, watching a fourth car approach as theirs had. After parking, the driver's door opened and another cloaked being stepped out. The new figure then coaxed another from the passenger's side of the vehicle. Though this fifth figure was dressed in the same manner as the other four, it moved with less sureness as the others as it followed the one whose vehicle from it emerged to join the standing three.

The fourth figure removed its hood.

Dark brown eyes, sparking with their own luminosity, smiled from a middle-aged man's face. Faint twilight glinted off his shaved scalp. "Mike was keeping up quite a conversation in my car," he said, grinning. "Just before we got here it somehow turned to John's 'bear' arms and how–"

"Jordan!" The fifth figure – Mike – threw back his hood, revealing another middle-aged man with black-brown eyes and shoulder length dark hair.

Jordan stroked his lengthy chin beard and continued, "–how the fanbase goes crazy over them."

One of the other figures pulled back the sleeves of his cloak, in the process shrugging off the hood. Soft brown eyes displayed amusement as he flexed his thick arms, playing along with the joke.

A melodic voice then spoke. "Especially those guys at Meme Theater; they're insane." The voice came from another one of the cloak figures, now unveiling his face too, pale blue eyes strikingly contrast to the others' dark ones.

The four men then chuckled at the mention of the Facebook fanpage, one they have fun keeping tabs on. A barely audible hint of a laugh came from the final hooded figure. Blue-Eyes tugged back the hood to reveal an Asian-featured face.

"Ever the quiet one, Mr. Myung," Jordan smiled.

Bear-Arms John looked around the group as they exchanged smiles. The others noticed him watching and gave him their attention. He focused his gaze on a pair of pale blue eyes. "James," he said, "will you lead tonight?"

Blue-Eyes – James – dipped his head. "I would be honored."

An excited shiver seemed to ripple through the men – save Mike. Myung then spoke in a soft voice. "Twelve years..." An intake of breath, "The first Majesty Initiation since 1999."

"_My_ Initiation," Jordan said, murmuring in a reminiscent tone. He turned to John. "You lead that one–"

"–and entirely had forgotten to name Mike when referencing the members!" James added. A silence fell over the group. The mood displayed that the Mike in question was obviously not the one currently present.

The present Mike gazed at the other four. "Hey, if you're unsure you'd want me..." he began solemnly.

John held up a hand. "Mangini. You have proven your talent and shown that your soul will satisfy the collective Majesty. _We_ felt it–" he indicated James, Jordan, Myung, and himself "–and knew you were one of us." The other three gave supporting nods. Mike Mangini offered a slight smile of thanks.

James approached him and clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's make you an official part of us now."

With that, he turned heel, pulled his hood over his head though only to where his face was still clearly visible, and began treading off of the gravel and onto the calmly sloping hills of the nearby forest clearing. The rest followed his lead.

A five-minute's walk brought them towards a central dip of the slopes, and within that indent, grafted to the ground, was a flattened, cutout metal shape about a man's height in diameter. The shape was formed by a symmetrical series of lines encompassed by an oval. The foundational lines were three vertical bars with protruding T-like ends, marking six outer points of the total figure. James drew near to it and glanced down. His lips quirked in a smile then turned to address the others.

"This," he announced, clear voice ringing through the cool nocturnal air, "is the Majesty symbol." That was common knowledge to the group, but James' statement possessed an air of authority, a sign that what was to come has now officially started. He tilted his head back slightly to face the sky, closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. As he exhaled, he opened his eyes and stared at Mike. Without breaking the gaze, he absently touched his goatee while he instructed everyone, "Take your places in your respective spots."

Cloaks billowing, Jordan, John, and Myung diverged around Mike and James. Jordan and Myung stepped onto a T-shaped end each beside one another on the side opposite of James while Petrucci took place on the closes side. James beckoned Mike to step onto the large symbol. Mangini did so and, uncertain of what he should do, located himself along the second bar in the center of the symbol. Glimpsing around, he noticed an unlit candle at each of the six T-points before the small areas where the others would stand. James strode around the symbol, systematically setting aflame each candle with a hidden lighter. The metal of the platform dramatically reflected the flickering firelight, making the whole symbol alive with flame, a beacon against the dark ground a foot below it.

When he finished, James took his own place on the same side as John. Mike looked at everyone in turn, noticing the eerie look the enhanced candlelight cast within each person's eyes.

"We are gathered here this evening!" James suddenly crooned, silencing any crickets that may have begun their song. "For the Initiation of a new member!" His eyes held a wicked glint and his mouth tilted in an excited smile. He abruptly looked at John beside him. "John Petrucci," he announced. He shifted his stare to Jordan across from John. "Jordan Rudess." Another shift. "John Myung. Myself, James LaBrie. _We. Are. Dream Theater._" His gaze focused on Mike.

"MICHAEL MANGINI!" he melodically howled. "We have trialed you and found you commendable! We will accept you into our ranks; you will complete the Majesty Initiation. Michael," he lowered his voice, "you will become a member of Dream Theater. If, whenever in the future, you so wish to leave our ranks, you may." He fell silent for several heartbeats then continued. "We hope that will not be the case but rather you will be one of us for the entire life of Dream Theater.

"Michael, will you join Dream Theater as our new drummer, use your absolute heart, mind, and soul in the creation of progressive metal music, and, in the process, appeasing our global fanbase?"

The other man stared at him, making direct, strong eye contact. "I will," he proclaimed determinedly.

"Then, by John's guitar, Jordan's keys, John's bass, and my VOICE, _we name you Dream Theater! You. Are. The DRUMS!_" James' cry seemed to slice the air. "Brother, step onto the point beside Myung!"

Heart pounding, Mike obeyed. Careful not to trip through the gaps of the symbol or catch his cloak on fire, he stepped into place. One by one, all of the five turned to look at Mike. Then, they began glancing at each other and warm smiles broke across faces.

The sheer moment of it, the total sensation of a lifelong brotherhood, sent chills through Mike's body. Although the other four had felt the same before, they each experienced the same exhilaration once again.

Mike smiled at each of the men in turn and bluntly spoke the first informal words since James' ceremonial calls. "Why are there six points?"

No one replied immediately.

Jordan suppressed a cough.

Mike looked at James and John, who were the only two on the side opposite of him. They framed either corner but the T-point between them was vacant.

"Well, you see," John Petrucci began, "Myung, Mike Portnoy, and myself didn't consider having the graphic designer make the Majesty symbol to geometrically contain five central points to represent five band members, so–"

The Majesty symbol suddenly flared a brilliant, blinding light, shattering their view, and generated a strange wind, wicking the candle flames out and billowing the men's long hair (save Jordan's) to stream behind them. The blazing flash then dimmed to a moderate glow throughout the entire piece of metal. The T-point below James shone with a faint blue tint. Across from him, Mike's area lit green. Myung's yellow, Jordan's orange, Petrucci's red. Blue, green, yellow, orange, red… All main colors save… purple? Complete, it would be a system of six.

"James?" Mike's eyes were wide; he was wondering if a trick was being played on him. If so… How? "John? Jordan? John? What's–"

A bestial roar interrupted him as an indistinct, monstrous figure suddenly arose behind – no, from _within_ – Petrucci. It grew greater and greater, a mass of ethereal mist, taking the shape of a… grizzly bear?

Not long after, a form emerged from each of the other four. James gazed to the sky, following the movement of his ghostly osprey eagle. Mike stared as he noticed his own, a loping wolf. Myung observed a lithe, spiritual cat form sprinting around his body. Jordan watched in awe as an otter-like figure materialized and began playfully maneuvering around him.

As one, the wraithlike animals froze in their positions then charged past their respective men towards the center of the Majesty symbol where Mike had previously stood. As they made contact, the world went white and dead silent.

Blinking the harsh afterimage away, John Petrucci was the first to approach the center. He crouched down before a small form. James noted John's jaw-drop and glanced at the three others. They all stared down at what was in front of John. James peered forward.

Among them sat a small, serpentine figure about a hands-width in cylindrical diameter and the length of the height of a preadolescent child. Rather than being reptilian, though, it was mammalian with a fox-like snout, thick mane, and paws. It also had small sharp horns and startling dark violet eyes. Something not from this world but rather from somewhere like a fantasy book. It was a dragon.

It stood and yawned casually.

The five men instinctively retreated a couple steps, unintentionally returning to their individual points on the symbol. The dragon looked at each of them in turn. With each person, it shifted its body into the respective spiritual animal forms (bear, osprey, wolf, cat, otter), giving some time between each transformation to allow the men to observe. It lastly returned to the draconian form, then trotted to the remaining, vacant T-point on the Majesty symbol. The six points were occupied.

The men gazed in awe but all felt a certain tug towards the creature. Collectively, they had created it? Their brotherhood, their ties for one another have been strong enough to be _magical?_ Was this the product from all of their… souls?

The dragon returned their gazes, confirming suspicions, no matter how unrealistic. Then, in a feminine voice, it calmly spoke. "I am all of you. I am Fæn."


	2. The Sixth Point

**Author's Note: Dream Theater and a dragon... because, why not? Haha, enjoy. :)**

Chapter 2 – The Sixth Point

Fæn tilted her head as the men gaped at her. She sat patiently. "What, it's not like you don't know me," she said. Though she parted her jaws when she spoke, her voice seemed to echo through the men's minds rather than traveling through the air.

Jordan was the first to break through his trance. He stepped forward, cautiously approaching the petite dragon. He reached out a hand, extending long fingers. Fæn watched him with an almost amused expression as Jordan faintly brushed a tuft of the dark grayish-black fur framing her face.

James spoke. "And how do we know you?" The dragon looked at him without shifting her head, not wanting to startle Jordan who now had his hand lightly on her neck.

"Ah, so you acknowledge you know me," she replied, giving an impish grin. James' eyes glinted and his mouth was set in a firm line.

Fæn returned her attention to Jordan as he placed both of his hands on her silver-hued mane. She chuckled at his curiosity. _Oh, ever the tactile learner_. She then stood up, looking over her shoulder. John Myung had drawn near and extended a hand to touch the fluffy tip of her tail. After the faintest contact, he withdrew his hand with a slight air of confirmation.

John Petrucci and Mike were watching during the several exchanges. John's arms were folded as if for self security, and Mike's eyes were wide, taking everything in. Petrucci looked like he was about to say something when the sky unexpectedly blinked violent white and snarled thickly with thunder. Fæn tilted her head back as large raindrops quickly raced away from the growling sky.

"I say we retreat to the Cave for tonight, eh?" she suggested. At that comment, Petrucci froze, staring at her with question in his eyes. The others had begun running to their cars as the rain started pelting harder. John seemed to shake off the daze and headed for his vehicle too. Fæn bounded after them.

She dove into John's car as he yanked open the door on the driver's side and settled into the passenger's seat.

"Those cloaks seem a little inconvenient now," she commented.

"I know, I know." He pried the sleeves away from his arms and managed to bundle the cloak and toss it in the backseat. His hair was soaked since he didn't consider drawing the cloak's hood when the rain began. He cranked up the fan.

John's pocket was buzzing. The dragon watched as he fumbled a phone from his jeans, slid a finger across the screen, and answered a call.

"Yeah, yeah." A pause. "I don't know how, but she's here with me now." The other three cars had come to life, rumbling and glowing. "Yes, the Cave. Okay." He pulled the phone away from his cheek and locked the screen. One of the other vehicles had rolled into motion, and John put his own in drive, following in the other car's stead. The last two cars trailed behind.

He drove on for about five minutes, with the little dragon seated beside him, in silence. Then he glanced at her. Looked at the road. Glanced at her again. Fæn gave him a "what?" look.

John raised a brow. "Okay, how do you know about the Cave?"

"I _am_ all of you. Your minds made my mind."

He didn't reply to that. She watched his face, the expression of mulling over her statement. She then turned to peer out the door window. Lightning briefly illuminated trees and distant buildings then left them subject again to the night's darkness.

Keeping his eyes on the road, he asked, "What were those… animals?"

Fæn settled back in the seat. "Parts of all of you. Some may say parts of your 'souls.'" She yawned, tongue curling. "Every human has an earthly animal counterpart."

"And they formed you?" She could tell he was struggling to keep his voice calm. She offered a smile and nodded. He bit his lip, thinking.

They drove onto a paved slope that was cut into a tree-covered hill. Soon they had a shelf of ground above them. Here the four vehicles parked. Fæn climbed over Petrucci's lap to exit the car.

The others were emerging too. The dragon noticed Jordan beckoning her to him and she came over. He dropped to a crouch and held out his arms. "Can I…?"

She blinked. Then nodded and held back a laugh. Jordan slipped his hands beneath her arms and lifted her like a cat.

"Hm, very light," Jordan noted. "And… very _real_."

James walked by and waved his arm in a forward motion. "Come on, into the Cave." Petrucci accompanied his side. Myung and Mike held back with Jordan, who followed James' and John's lead, carrying Fæn.

The dragon squirmed in Jordan's grip after a couple moments. "Okay, not the most comfortable." She wiggled from his grasp and leapt to James and John. They were at a wall of stone. Within this wall was a camouflaged door. John produced a key and opened it. They all filed inside as someone flicked on a light switch.

The doorway opened to a wide, high-ceilinged room, the floor having the area of about that of a football field. The walls and ceiling weren't that of a "cave" but were rather modern and dark-hued, giving the place a sense of nature and warmth. Some windows, probably hidden from the outside, framed the upper walls. There was a large fireplace encompassed by sofas and rugs, and scattered throughout the room were stools and welcoming chairs. Even though the area was not divided into separate rooms, it was split into certain sections. A back corner hosted a kitchen-like area, well equipped with appliances and a large counter and dining table. Several beds, screen dividers, and wardrobes occupied the other back corner. A large portion of the room was dominated by various musical equipments; instruments were strewn all over but in a somewhat neat manner, from keyboards to drum kits to plenty of guitars, and towers of speakers and computers formed mini walls.

Mike's mouth was hanging open; this was his first visit to the Cave. Fæn smiled inwardly. _Definitely an awesome headquarters._

John treaded straight for the living area around the fireplace and sat down on a recliner. James, Myung, Jordan, and Mike found seats too, and Fæn decided to hop onto the empty space on the loveseat beside James. Mr. LaBrie seemed unsure of how to act and settled for ignoring her existence. _Hm_. The dragon sat tall and pretended to not be offended.

Petrucci leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"Fæn, you said. Correct?" She turned her head at Jordan's statement and nodded. "Does it mean anything?"

She blinked slowly. _Can you guess?_

A quiet voice answered. "Dream." Fæn looked at John Myung. He was studying his hands as he spoke but had a slight smile on his lips. "Who knows what language it is in, but it's clever. Dream. Fæn… I like it." He lifted his eyes to meet hers. _Glad you got the connection_, Fæn thought, nodding. The eye contact broke when Mike spoke.

"Didaycauzzis?" He looked – and sounded – nervous. At no one's reply, he swallowed and repeated what he said. "Did I cause this?" he managed more calmly, though his eyes were slightly wild. _Poor guy, first moment of being officially a part of the band and he thinks he might've done something wrong._

"Even if you did, is it bad?" Petrucci asked composedly.

Mike shook his head slowly. _No._

"I believe the first thing we should question," James said suddenly with his (at the moment) irritatingly melodic voice, shifting on the cushions, "is _what_ this thing is." He looked at Fæn scrutinizingly. She resisted clenching her fangs, forcing herself to retain calmness though she returned his gaze.

"A dragon," Jordan offered, stroking his beard.

Mike appeared to be losing some nervousness, especially after John's input. "I thought they were, you know–" he extended his arms "–big? Can you breathe fire?" he asked her directly.

"No." She was still focused on James. His icy blue eyes wouldn't yield. "I thought you all would first be asking if I was actually _real_."

LaBrie retorted before anyone else could speak, "Okay then, are you _real?_"

To that, Fæn leapt into his lap and sat back on her haunches, putting her front paws against his chest. "Many humans seem to associate _belief_ with _empirical_ evidence," she remarked. "What is _real_ is _tangible_. Tell me, what do you now _believe?_"

He didn't reply immediately. He lifted a hand and touched her shoulder. His expression softened slightly. "How? How are you possible?"

Jordan spoke again. "You mentioned that we should all know you. I feel as if I _do_." Mike and Myung muttered in agreement. John observed silently, chin in both hands.

The dragon turned her head. "You all do. You all made me."

"Those animals," John Petrucci immediately said. "You told me they were parts of our souls."

"And they came together to make me, yes." She hopped off of James' lap and onto the rug.

_How?_ The question burned in all of their eyes. Fæn walked around the rough circle of men, addressing them all. "There are many unexplained things in this world. Those that are bad you may question and curse…"

"But those that are good…" John Myung added quietly, "we thank for and accept." Fæn dipped her head in thankful acknowledgement for that comment as others nodded in agreement.

"The Initiation," Mike said. "Did it, like, _expose_ our souls? Or at least those… animal parts of them?"

Jordan answered. "That makes sense. Well, the most sense out of what we have to work with." He paused, then addressed Fæn. "You knew of the Cave. How? We – the five of us here – are the only ones who even know its existence – well, and Portnoy of course."

Fæn returned to the loveseat. "I told you, your souls made me. Your minds make up mine." Jordan mulled over this.

James spoke to her again. "So… you wouldn't be like a newborn needing to learn of the world through experience but rather would immediately know the world… through and from _us_."

"I _am_ you."

All five men watched her. Their expressions were changed now, from surprise and suspicion to awe and excitement as the concept sank in. This dragon was the product of a bit of all of their souls.

"Well!" John Petrucci clapped his hands – a startling noise after the quiet – and rose to a stand. "I'm kind of hungry now." He walked off.

Mike followed his lead. "Food. Food is good. Very good."

_Either they're used to me already or they'd rather take a break to digest it all_, Fæn mused to herself.

Jordan got up and knelt before the dragon on the couch. He extended a hand to pet the top of her head, touch the small horns, then rub along the fluff of her mane. Head propped up on one hand, James observed them. "So, a supposedly mammalian dragon. Is that because most of the animals were mammals?"

"Mine's an otter, apparently." Jordan looked at him and seemed amused by this fact. "Hence, I conclude that otters make great wizards." He chuckled. Fæn tilted her head back as he scratched the base of her neck.

John Myung came closer to the other three and sat on an arm of the loveseat. "Cat, otter, bear, wolf, and osprey." He flipped his hair from his face. "It seems that they all add up to miniature fluffy dragon." At this, everyone offered some laughter. James joined in with Jordan's petting, at first hesitant but then seemingly at some ease.

After a few moments, Myung left to grab some food with the others. Soon, Jordan decided to do the same.

"Still doubtful?" Fæn asked LaBrie after Jordan left.

"A bit." He clicked his tongue. "Having _empirical evidence_, though–" he roughly rubbed her muzzle and forehead "–is a little reassuring." She stuck her tongue out good-naturedly. _Hopefully his initial coldness_, she thought, _was only from uncertainty and unease._

She hopped up. "Hey, I could go for some food too."

"What, we need to _feed_ you?" LaBrie said dramatically.

"Yes." As the man stood, she jumped onto his back and scrambled onto his shoulders.

"Huh, much lighter than I expected," he observed. He walked somewhat awkwardly to the kitchen area. _Worried about dropping me? _Fæn wondered. She held onto him easily with her long body.

Jordan looked up from making a simple sandwich of bread and meat as James approached. He chuckled and resumed working. Mike was reheating a bunch of leftover pizza, and John Myung was pulling bottles of beer from the fridge.

John Petrucci noticed that everyone had now moved over here. Fæn climbed down LaBrie to sit on one of the stools beside Petrucci at the large counter. James took John's other flank as Jordan brought Fæn some of the lunchmeat, which she tore at thankfully.

Opening a beer that Myung had handed to him, Petrucci made an announcement. "Tonight we had initiated a new member into our Majesty group," he began. He raised his bottle. "Mr. Mike Mangini, you are our brother now." They all toasted to Mike. "In addition to Mike," John continued, "Dream Theater gained something else tonight, although, from what we've gathered, I'm not sure if 'gained' is the right word. She might argue that she's always been here in some way.

"Fæn, a small, draconian, and – granted – cute little being, is apparently the product of all of us." He paused. "We all feel as if we know her – know her as we know each other and ourselves. How can everything we learned tonight not be true as long as the feeling of knowing her like that and her physical form are true?

"Dragon," he said, directly addressing Fæn. She perked her ears. "I believe you are the sixth point of our Majesty symbol, a point that embodies us all. Will you, for all of us, _be_ the symbol of each of us and our lives and, collectively, Dream Theater?"

She couldn't do anything but nod. _Yes, this is what you've made me for. I am to be a friend, the product of all of your essences._

At her nod, Petrucci tipped his bottle back and drank. The others did so too. It was a night for celebration, no matter how odd the events.

"This is insane," Mike spoke, smiling wildly. "Here, buddy, you can have some too." He found a glass and poured half of his beer into it. He pushed the cup to Fæn.

_Hey, why not?_ She lapped up a couple of sips and scrunched up her nose, but finished off the drink.

Some time later, Jordan swept her up in his arms and, with many twirls, returned to the living area. He settled onto the loveseat and lied down on his back, propping Fæn up on his chest.

John Petrucci – or Myung, or Mike; hey, they all have long dark hair – joined them in a nearby chair. Fæn yawned and struggled to keep her eyes open. What time was it anyway? She rolled onto her side as Jordan leaned his head back on the couch's arm.

"What a night, eh, John?" Jordan mumbled, voice vibrating the dragon atop his chest.

Petrucci – yeah, it was Petrucci – settled back in his recliner. "Very much so."


	3. Waking, Shopping, Living

**Author's Note: Keep in mind that some of the little details about Dream Theater's members in this story I have made up! I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

Chapter 3 – Waking, Shopping, Living

Fæn awoke, draped halfway off of a sleeping Jordan. Sometime during his sleep, he had turned on his side rather than remaining on his back. Fæn blinked the last traces of slumber from her eyes and lightly slipped off of Jordan and onto the rug. The rising sun had awoken her, its light bleeding through the high windows of the Cave.

It was silent, save the distant morning songs of the common birds somewhere outside. Fæn glanced at John Petrucci, who was knocked out on the recliner, mouth partially open. She grinned to herself and decided to scope out the place for the other three men.

She approached one of the back corners of the Cave. Peeking behind a couple screen dividers, she saw James and Mike each sprawled on a separate bed. LaBrie's brows were furrowed as if he was having an extremely thought-provoking dream, and Mike's face was pressed flat into his pillow. Curious, Fæn drew near to Mangini's bed and tried to determine how he was managing to draw in oxygen that way. Stumped, she studied his torso to make sure it was still faintly rising and falling with his breathing. It was. She then gave the area another sweeping look. _Now where is the other John?_

Leaving the bed area, she was facing the kitchen/dining place that occupied the other back corner. A black-haired figure was standing at the refrigerator, door held open and peering inside. Shoulders slumped, Myung withdrew from the fridge with a cup of yogurt in his hand. He noticed Fæn approaching and gave her a nod of greeting. The dragon hopped onto one of the stools as John stood at the counter and began eating his yogurt. It wasn't long before he finished it. Cleaning up, he spoke. "We need more food." He gazed at the refrigerator.

Fæn's stomach gurgled. She glanced down at it then looked at Myung. "I take it someone will be taking a grocery trip today?" she replied in a tone just as quiet as John's.

He nodded. "Yep. We usually draw straws for whose turn it is." He sat down in a stool beside the dragon. They sat together in silence for a bit. Fæn watched the dappled sunlight from the windows shift as trees waved in an apparent breeze. "So," Myung said a few minutes later, "you can… shapeshift?"

She returned her attention to him. He was watching the windows when he spoke. "Yes," she answered. "Only into the forms you all gave me."

He accepted this with a brief nod. Even though he didn't request her to, Fæn shifted into her Myung-inspired cat form. She was now about two thirds of the size of her dragon shape, and her fur was long and black, the dark color broken throughout with silvery white streaks. Her eyes remained the same amethyst purple.

"Meow," she said.

John smiled. "Meow."

"When'd you guys get a cat?" Both Fæn and Myung turned around to see Mike walking towards them.

"Since last night, if you're considering my own self, or since 1985 if you consider John as the cat," Fæn replied, sitting up straight with petite paws tucked in front of her.

Mike seemed to blink clarity into his eyes. "Oh man, so she's real?"

"Very much so, Mr. Mangini." She returned to her draconian form. Movement in the Cave's bed corner caught her eye. She turned her head to watch James emerge and head straight for a door halfway along the wall on that side. A few moments later she heard a shower running water. She returned her attention to Myung and Mike.

Running a hand through his hair, Mangini offered the dragon a smile. He then walked towards the fridge, rubbing her head as he passed by. She hopped off of the stool and made her way back to the little living area where Petrucci and Jordan remained. She stopped before John Petrucci.

One of his socks had wiggled halfway off a foot, exposing the arch. _I wonder_… Lifting her tail, Fæn lightly tickled John's foot with the fluffy tip. No response. She made another swipe with her tail and received a twitch.

Something made her turn around and see Jordan shifting to a sitting position, watching her with a grin stretched across his face. In silent acknowledgement, she brushed her tail over the bottom of Petrucci's foot again. This time, the sleeping man kicked out and released a snort but did not awaken. Jordan bit his lip, suppressing a laugh. He raised an index finger, mouthing, _One more time_.

And so Fæn tickled John's foot again. A hand unexpectedly lashed forward, grabbing the foot and scratching it vigorously, in the process flinging the loose sock off the foot and into the dragon's face. With a paw, she batted it aside. Petrucci rose, and, still gripping his foot, he stared at Fæn,

_Why?_ His face burned the question. Both Fæn and Jordan burst out laughing.

Several minutes later found everyone gathered around the kitchen counter. James had finished bathing and now sought out a breakfast with Petrucci and Jordan. Mike and Myung were seated at the counter. Mike caught Fæn's eye and _psst'd_ her over to him. She sat beside him. He gave her a chocolate Poptart to eat. She took it gratefully.

"Hey, man – or, um, dragon," he said, addressing her in a relatively low tone, expressing that he was speaking with only her. "I can't help feel like _I_ started the whole thing with–" He waved his arms, trying to motion what he couldn't find in words "–with you. Your coming to be. Not that it's a bad thing," he added quickly. "Definitely not." He swept a hand beneath one of her paws to lift it. "You're an awesome little fluffy thing."

Fæn looked up at Mangini with amethyst eyes and responded. "I believe you _did _somehow start it by mentioning the number of points on the Majesty symbol, but…" She let her gaze travel to each of the other four men before returning to Mike. "But, _all_ of you had truly felt a connection with one another that had allowed… _me_… to happen."

Mangini's face transformed into a smile. "Dude, you know this is all so truly magical. I know that sounded lame, but…" He lifted Fæn and settled her onto his lap like she was some sort of big housecat.

_No, it's not lame_, she added to herself mentally. Her back faced Mike's chest and, over the kitchen counter, she watched James, John Petrucci, and Jordan eating whatever they scavenged for breakfast. She felt Mike scratching her neck and shoulder, and – _ohh, no wonder why cats and dogs love this_ – she leaned into is touch.

Jordan finished eating a small slice of cold pizza and conjured a handful of plastic straws from his pants pocket. "Okay," he announced, slapping the straws onto the countertop. "We all know that someone needs to go grocery shopping if we'll all be staying here for a bit."

Raising a hand, James spoke, "I'll be heading back to Canada…"

Petrucci rinsed his hands in the sink. "Understandable. Definitely go spend some time with your family before we finish up the new album."

It was understood that all of the men would still have time to dedicate to their individual families, Fæn noted to herself. The others just all lived nearby (Jordan and both Johns in New York and Mike in Boston, Massachusetts) while James resided a little further away in Canada.

The dragon tilted her head back to glance at Mike. He was observing Petrucci as the guitarist grabbed the straws and arranged them in his palm so that only five tips were visible. He stood before Myung, who grasped a straw and pulled it out. LaBrie and Rudess each grabbed one too, and Mike reached above Fæn to take one of the two remaining straws. Petrucci held the remaining straw between his two index fingers. It was cut to about half the length of each of the other straws. He rolled his tongue over his teeth, not looking too thrilled.

James chuckled as John Petrucci said, "I got it for the last two times too…"

"Hey," Jordan replied. "At least you're the cook! Now you get to choose what food you can work with."

Looking at Jordan, James added, "Yeah, I'm sure we remember when Jordan last made a grocery trip and somehow 'forgot' any form of vegetable or pasta." Everyone exchanged laughs and smiles, even though neither Mike nor Fæn had been present during the time James mentioned.

"Okay, okay," John said. "I'm going. Anyone want to come with me?" he added jokingly.

_Hey, why not?_ "Sure, I will," Fæn spoke up. All five men watched her. Obviously Petrucci did not expect that answer. None of the others did either. "What? I'd like to come."

After a few awkward moments, Jordan announced, "I say take her along and see what happens." He stroked his beard. "Although, the whole dragon thing might be an issue."

"That _would be_ the issue," James said. "How would peop–"

John Myung _interrupted_ him, and the effect was almost as strong as that of the Myung Tackle. "She can turn into a cat," he simply stated. The others digested what he said.

Since John was the only man to whom she demonstrated her shapeshifting (disregarding the initial transformations at the ritual last night), she decided to change right now and show the others. A black-and-silver cat took the dragon's place on Mangini's lap.

"Okay," James said, "now she's a cat. Who the hell brings cats inside grocery stores?"

Jordan shrugged the comment aside. "Pshh, the worst that can happen is that John may be asked to leave the store. I think it'll be interesting to see what happens – and at least this way her dragon identity is hidden. She won't appear as some sort of supposedly imaginary creature people will want to seize to study..."

Petrucci had a strange expression on his face, a cross between amusement and deep thought. His brown eyes lit up. "What the heck, let's see how people react." He stepped towards Mike, grabbed Fæn by the scruff ("Hey, I don't appreciate that!"), and placed her in the crook of his arm. He began walking towards the entrance of the Cave.

"Hey, um, John?" Fæn asked, looking up at him before he reached the door. "Don't you need to get cleaned and dressed first?"

"Oh."

They were prepared to leave half an hour later. John got ready to go out in public, damp hair pulled back in a ponytail. Fæn decided to have a quick fluffing-up in the shower too, and the other guys had conjured a rough draft of a grocery list during this time.

Petrucci slid a wallet into his jeans pocket. "Ready?" he asked as the dragon – still in cat form – emerged from the bathroom. She nodded.

"Oh! John, before you go," Jordan exclaimed, tossing a baseball cap to John, "put this on."

The guitarist snatched the cap from the air and raised an eyebrow at Rudess. "Your hat cam?"

Jordan grinned. "If something interesting happens, we would love to see it."

Like she did the night before, Fæn sat in the passenger seat of John's car. The sky was bright and clear, any trace of last night's storm gone. The trees swayed fluidly in a steady breeze as Petrucci raced along the back roads leading from the Cave.

"What's on the list?" John requested.

"Um…" Fæn unfolded the piece of paper beneath her paws. "Steak, ravioli, bread, ribs, ground beef, asparagus, Barolo, chicken, Italian sausages, salami–" She glanced at him. "You guys sure like your meat, don't you?"

"Apparently." John jerked the steering wheel as a squirrel flew off of a branch and towards the road. "Hm, we can go to Stop & Shop. Sometimes they have good deals on meat."

"Sounds fine to me."

Soon they hit better-paved roads and entered a suburban neighborhood. "So what, you're going to trot on the floor behind me or something?"

"And get stepped on or run over by carts? No! Also, do you know how _dirty_ those floors are?" Fæn shook her head. "No way, José."

"It's John, but you were close."

_Oh my God…_ She couldn't help but laugh. John grinned.

They approached a Stop & Shop after about ten more minutes of driving. The parking lot was bustling with people. Before leaving the car, John donned Jordan's camera-equipped cap while Fæn grabbed the grocery list between her teeth. John then lifted her into his arms, and she climbed onto his shoulders, balancing along his shoulders. He slipped a pair of sunshades over his nose. "Here goes nothing."

Step 1: Enter the building inconspicuously. Success.

Step 2: Grab a shopping cart. Don't let Fæn drop off my shoulders. Failur– oh, nope. She regained balance. Success. Except for the claw marks now ripped into my shirt.

Step 3: Maintain the usual eye contact with people. Don't accidentally hit someone with the shopping cart. Succ– "JOHN! OLD LADY COMING, 3 O'CLOCK!" Swerve. Avoid. Hope no one heard the cat speak. Success.

"Well," John declared after 30 minutes of successful shopping, "no one has even acknowledged your existence, Fæn. I guess that's a good thing?"

The cat-form dragon swept a tongue over her fangs. "Probably. Although you're getting some weird looks for supposedly talking to yourself. Go back to whispering." She tapped the tip of her tail to the side of his head.

Sweeping her tail away with his left hand, Petrucci lowered his voice as she suggested. "Can they not even see you?"

She shrugged in response.

They were now in the freezer section. As John was closing the door to one of the freezers after retrieving some bags of frozen ravioli – "Tortellini would be great too; grab some!" – a gangly teen of 17 years or so stood stock still before him.

The boy dropped the tub of ice cream he was holding. "J-Jo-John, John, John Petrucci? JOHN PETRUCCI?"

"Er – hi, kid." John dropped the bags of pasta into the shopping cart. Fæn's eyes were wide, then she felt a wave of laughter wrack her body. She resisted making any audible laugh.

"I know it's rumored that you're often in the area, b-but to actually _see_ you! Right here! Oh man, you're _the_ guitar god. Can you autograph my, um, shirt? Aw, man, I don't have a marker. Well, I have a washable one but that would be pointless to have you sign with, you know." The boy was rambling.

John gave the kid a smile. "It's fine. I have my own Sharpie." He pulled one out from a pocket. The boy turned around so John could sign the back of the shirt. He moved the marker over the fabric of the shirt with sweeping loops.

"Oh man, thank you so much! Dream Theater is amazing. You're amazing!" He hastily shook John's hand and then took off. Petrucci watched him go.

"How cute," Fæn commented. She smiled. "You're equipped for autographing!"

"I try," John responded. "It's a neat feeling, being able to put some excitement in a fan's day like that."

_That's good_. Fæn kept a smile on her face.

They were almost finished a quarter of an hour later. Still, no one in the store had mentioned anything about the cat on John's shoulders.

"I'll put together a seafood dinner tonight," the guitarist said, sifting through the seafood section. "It's James' favorite, and this'll be his last night with us for a couple months. Hmm, what kind of seafood do you think we should have?"

Fæn scanned the shelves. "Clam chowder!"

"Sounds good to me. I'll make crab cakes too."

On the way to the checkout line, John grabbed a loaf of bread from the bakery section. "Lunch," he explained. Fæn nodded in agreement. Finally they then found themselves checking out their groceries. "How long do you think all this food will last in the Cave?" the cat-dragon pondered.

"Hopefully at least two weeks," John said, joking.

Fæn chuckled and settled her eyes on the cashier. Although the woman looked at Petrucci, she didn't show any sign of noticing the cat shape on his shoulders. Fæn waved a paw in front of the hidden camera in Jordan's hat, then, leaning forward, swiped the air before the cashier. No response.

Feeling off-balance and fearing she might fall, John jerked back. The cashier gave him an odd look. He coughed and pulled out his wallet to pay for the food. Soon they left the store.

"I don't get it," Petrucci said, opening the car door for Fæn. He began loading the groceries into the car. "Are you invisible to everyone else?"

Fæn shifted into her dragon form and turned around in the seat to face John. She rested her chin on the shoulder of the seat. "It seems so."

Carrying the bread loaf, John seated himself in the driver's spot. He tore off a chunk of the bread and handed it to Fæn, who took it and began nibbling at it gratefully. "We'll have to let you test out the other forms in public," John mentioned.

Swallowing a mouthful of bread, she replied, "I'd say so!"

They returned to the secret Cave to hear wicked drumming reverberating through the walls. John unlocked the door.

"Oh, Mike, that was sick. Let's do that again." Jordan hunched over one of his keyboards and flashed his fingers over a series of keys whilst Mike insanely struck a drum kit with a stick glued to either palm. John Myung was several paces away, abusing his bass guitar with complex melodies.

James was the first to notice John and Fæn at the door. "They're baaaAAaaaAAaaaAAAAHHhhhhhk!" he crooned, voice rising above the progressive clamor.

The other three stopped their music so they could all help carry in the bags of food.

Petrucci was soon starting to put together tonight's dinner. Fæn, James, and Myung gathered around the kitchen area, ready to help if needed. Well, at least James and Myung could help. The dragon was a tad short in size and didn't quite have hands. Feeling unneeded, she decided to join Mike and Jordan, both of whom continued jamming away as before. She watched them and had a constant grin of amazement across her face.

"Here's the opening to Outcry," Jordan Rudess said when both he and Mike had paused in their playing. "Kind of a powerful, triumphant melody. Now let's see what you can come up with…"

As early evening came, dinner was fully prepared. Someone had set six places at the dining table, and a pot of chowder and pile of crab cakes sat on the counter, ready to be served from. In turn, the men grabbed their own portions and seated themselves at the table. Jordan readied Fæn's dinner for her, and she was left a seat between Petrucci and James. They began eating when everyone was seated. The dragon delicately lapped up the delicious chowder and took bites from the flavorful crab cakes.

Rudess dramatically put down his spoon after taking a mouthful of the chowder. "John," he proclaimed, "if you weren't such a guitar god, you'd be on Food Network."

"Haha, yeah! He could go on _Hell's Kitchen_," Mike piped up. He looked around the table. "That's a cooking show, right? And, you know, it's also your song from _Falling into Infinity_… Okay, sorry, that was a lame DT pun." Everyone chuckled at that last comment.

"Ah, lame jokes. You fit in perfectly well, Mike," James noted with a smile. He turned to Petrucci. "Thank you for making this meal, brother. I more than appreciate it." John answered with a similar smile and a dip of his head.

Fæn observed the men as they ate and made conversation. It was… humble, she thought. Each of these men had helped make her. She knew them, felt their souls. Actually spending time with them as a conscious being was… an enigmatic and remarkable experience.

Beside her, James nudged her shoulder with a fist. "Hey, you're awfully quiet. C'mon and talk!"

They finished the main meal fairly quickly but stayed seated for at least an hour longer, chatting and joking away. The dragon had joined in, cuing appropriately into jokes and teasing the guys. They had completely forgotten to inquire about John and Fæn's experience in the grocery store until Jordan mentioned it.

"The hat's on the stool over there," Petrucci told him. "The most interesting thing that happened, though, was a fan wanting my autograph."

"Other than that," Fæn continued, "nothing really went on. No one seemed to notice my existence."

"That's weird," Mike chimed. "Maybe we should take you out in public as a grizzly bear next time and see if anyone reacts _then!_"

"Wouldn't that be a sight if people would see _that_ but not her cat shape?" Rudess laughed.

Myung spoke, "I would assume that if she isn't visible as a cat to anyone but us, others wouldn't see her in _any_ of the forms."

"Maybe she can try _touching_ some people next time," Mangini suggested. "_We_ can touch her, but can others?"

Fæn shot the drummer a glare. "Would _you_ like to go around touching random people? Yuck." She shook her head vigorously. All of the men laughed loudly at her reaction.

Without their realization, the sun had set, and they were still continuing their conversation into the night. At some point, spoken words turned into musical melodies and rhythmic beats. Fæn took the role of humming along, enhancing James' vocals. Their souls were expressed through sound. They exposed their individual lives to each other. The brotherhood was alive. Fæn found herself bounding in wide circles around the five men, alternating this pattern by weaving between them and the instruments, keeping her song as she went along. Fæn was alive. Tonight was alive. _Dream Theater_ was alive.


End file.
